IEAG, Ghana Railway Development Authority Explore Partnership To Boost Rail Freight

The leadership of the Importers and Exporters Association of Ghana (IEAG) has paid a courtesy call on the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Railway Development Authority (GRDA), Dr. Frederick Appoh, at the Authority’s offices in Accra, to explore areas of institutional collaboration aimed at strengthening Ghana’s rail freight and intermodal transport systems.

Welcoming the delegation on behalf of management, Dr. Appoh commended IEAG for its sustained advocacy and support for the development of the country’s railway sector, noting that the Association’s interventions had helped draw attention to the Authority’s operations and contributed to efforts to attract more cargo business to the rail network.

He explained that the cargo transportation initiative introduced earlier this year under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration was informed by a market assessment conducted by the Authority to identify opportunities within Ghana’s freight and logistics value chain.

Dr. Appoh disclosed that, with funding allocated to the Authority, GRDA had procured two locomotive engines and 20 wagons, which have facilitated the transportation of approximately 3,198 containers by rail to Kpone Unity Terminal.

As part of efforts to expand its freight operations, the Authority has also signed an offtake agreement with a freight forwarding company to facilitate the movement of containers from the Tema Harbour to Mpakadan. Under the arrangement, trucks from neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire are expected to receive the cargo at Mpakadan for onward transportation by road to their respective destinations.

On the development of inland logistics infrastructure, Dr. Appoh revealed that plans were far advanced for the construction of a railway line infrastructure at the Boankra Inland Port to support seamless intermodal cargo movement and improve connectivity between the country’s major logistics corridors.

He further indicated that the Authority was expecting the delivery of an additional locomotive engine by December 2026 to augment its existing operational capacity.

Beyond the immediate procurement plans, GRDA is also advancing arrangements to acquire two additional locomotive engines and 30 wagons to strengthen freight operations along the Tema–Mpakadan corridor and the Western Railway Line.

The expansion of the Western Railway Line is expected to facilitate the transportation of manganese from Nsuta to the Takoradi Port, as well as the movement of transit cargo from the port through Hamile to Burkina Faso and other landlocked neighbouring countries.

The GRDA Chief Executive emphasised the importance of sustained collaboration with IEAG, noting that stronger institutional partnerships would be critical to promoting rail-based freight transportation, reducing pressure on Ghana’s road network and addressing the persistent challenge of road traffic accidents.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of IEAG, Samson Asaki Awingobit, commended the leadership of the Railway Development Authority for identifying and taking advantage of emerging opportunities within the maritime trade and logistics sector.

He stressed the need for Ghana to prioritise rail and intermodal transportation as strategic alternatives to the country’s heavy dependence on road haulage, particularly in the movement of cargo to and from the ports.

According to him, a more efficient rail freight system would help ease road congestion, reduce the rate of road accidents, lower the pressure on the country’s road infrastructure and ultimately prolong the lifespan of major highways.

Mr. Awingobit also called for stronger institutional cooperation among the Ghana Railway Development Authority, the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to ensure a coordinated approach to freight transportation and logistics management.

He noted that effective collaboration among these key institutions would be essential to realising President John Dramani Mahama’s vision for the transformation of Ghana’s transport and maritime trade sectors.

The IEAG Executive Secretary reaffirmed the Association’s readiness to work with the Authority through advocacy, stakeholder engagement and strategic partnerships to promote the growth of Ghana’s railway system and improve the overall efficiency of the country’s import and export logistics chain.

The engagement forms part of IEAG’s broader stakeholder consultation efforts to strengthen collaboration with key institutions within Ghana’s maritime, transport and trade facilitation ecosystem.

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